That Whisper Among the Stars
by Lolita-Foxy15
Summary: In the past before Tsubasa began, Celestian ruler Airem must face the devistation of war on his country. Celes's Grand Healer, Niamh, must find the secret of her future to determine her path. The destiny of all the universe hangs in the balance.
1. Author's Notes

**Hello! Thank you for clicking on this story. ^^ Welcome! **

**A few author's notes before we get started: **

**1. This story is set in the Celes's **_**past**_**. Yuui, Fai and Ashura have not yet been born. **

**2. It took me so long to come up with names for our three main characters. I decided to go with some Celtic names, and that means that they have complicated spellings and pronounciations. They are as follows. **

_**Airem**_(King of Celes)** - (( AIR-em)) It will be spelled exactly like that in the story. **

_**Annwvyn **_(Airem's sister, princess of Celes) - **(( Ah-NUU-vin)) It will be spelled like this in the story. Please remember this and refer back to it if needed. ^^**

_**Niamh Bellétoile **_( Grand Healer of Celes and friend to the prince and princess) **(( Ni-Ahm-NN Bell-Eh-twal )) **

**I'm sorry for these hard names and an uncommon concept. Please enjoy the story. ^^ **


	2. The Royals and The Healer

_There are rumors of war. Whispers of a nameless fear from the West. Coming. Coming to our land. _

_xxxxxxxxxxx_

A young wizard glided along the icey halls of the palace. Her long braid swinging, she clutched a large book in her hands. Her many skirts rustled, and ruined all hope of walking silently through the halls. The magelights on the wall glittered in her eyes, and she quickened her pace, coming to a halt in front of the large doors to the throne room. The guards nodded and opened them.

She stepped inside to see the tall, strong figure of Airem, her king.

" Welcome, Grand Healer." Airem stood up from sitting on his throne, the throne of Celes, to greet her. She stepped up to the dias and bowed her head, curtsying quickly. 

" Hello, your Majesty. " She smiled as he stepped down to her level and held out his hand for the book. She gave it to him. " I think I have found a way to heal the colds of the villagers all at once. " Airem flipped through the large tome while she spoke.

"Good work, Niamh. " He looked at her and smiled gently, giving the book back to her. " I look forward to hearing the results." His ropes rustled as he stepped back in front of the throne. His shoulder-length black hair shined, unnaturally beautiful. His golden eyes took on a playful look when he asked, "Where has my sister gone to? Will you find her, please? "

Niamh bowed again, " Yes, your Majesty." then turned and went out of the throne room. The guards nodded as she passed, closing the doors behind her once again.

xxxxxxxxxxx

The royal library was huge. Shelves covered the walls, reaching up to the ceiling, with tall ladders along the sides. A great fire burned in the fireplace on the wall, warming the few nobles browsing among among the maze.

This is where Niamh had just been, she climbed the staircase in the center again and found her way back.

" Ah, Niamh. I'm glad to see you." Annwvyn grinned widely as the Grand Healer stepped into the aisle. 

" I was just here, your Highness. " She replied, smiling. The large book was placed back upon the shelf from which it came. Annwvyn placed her books back as well and came to stand beside her. 

" No need to use such titles here, my friend."

Niahm's face lit up to match her princess's. " King Airem would like to see you in the throne room. "

At this, Annwvyn rolled her eyes. " Oh, what is it now? Come along, Niamh." She took Niamh's arm in hers and began toward the library's oak doors. " If I must go, you must go. "

Niamh made a little show of being distressed, throwing her hand against her forehead and leaning back slightly. " Must you always drag me along? I'm always the one getting the blame for whatever scheme you come up with. " 

Annwvyn laughed, " Oh, I think not! You're the one suggesting those very schemes, my dear. So it's only right that the blame falls on you."

The older girl bowed mockingly. " I would take any and all blame for the transgressions of my princess."

" Oh, please. "

The two friends laughed together, the sound loud in the quiet and empty library. Neither of them cared, however. Both of them merely enjoying the other's company.

They left the Great Library together, arm in arm.

xxxxxxxxxx

_I have seen it among the Stars. A quiet darkness. Spreading over all the world. There is no escape. No escape. _

_Whispers of a nameless fear. Fear from the West. _

xxxxxxxxxxx

Airem was slumped in his chair when the two women walked back into the throne room. His face was paler now, and looked distraught. Almost as if the worst news had been brought to him. A servant, probably the castle messanger, ran out of the room. He, too, looked as if something terrible had happened.

The king of Celes propped his head in his hand, his long black hair covering his features.

The laughter went from Niamh and Annwvyn's eyes immediately. Replaced by a look of worry.

" Brother, " Annwvyn hurried the remaining distance between the door and the throne, kneeling directly in front of Airem. ",what is wrong?" 

When he didn't answer, she laid her hand on his. " What causes you distress? "

He looked up at her and moved to smooth black hair from her face. "Annwvyn."

Niamh stood in front of the dias, waiting to see if Airem wanted her to hear what he was about to say. She nervously touched her braid behind her back, then ran her hand along the fur of her cuffs.

As if sensing her eagerness, Airem motioned for her to joined them atop the dias. She scurried to kneel on his other side.

" Celes... "

He lifted his head and glared straight ahead, the magelights on the walls illuminating his face. The princess and the magician waited.

" Celes must go to war."

****

**Oh, the plot thickens in the very first chapter! XD **

**Reviews = Love **

**Thank you for reading! **


	3. Answers to Mysteries Undiscovered

**Whoa, my goodness! JUNE! I haven't updated this since JUNE! Forgive me. Please enjoy: **

**P.S. You might notice a slight change in the writing style. This is because we are getting further along and I wanted a little more emotion.**

**X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X.X...**

A look of horror came over Annwvyn's face, but Niamh's stayed the same. She knew that this was coming. She had heard it whispered. Whispered among the stars above her cold, and snowy world... This fear. This war was coming from the West. From a country called Valeria, and there was nothing anyone could do about it at this point.

"When? When did this happen? " The young princess asked her brother, staring into his golden eyes, looking for some sort of comfort. He didn't answer immediately, but stood with shaking hands, drawing a breath.

" I don't know when it happened. But the elder prince of Valeria grows restless for a fight. The fool..." Airem clenched his fists, and looked down at his sister, still kneeling in the dias. He grew angry, thinking of the lives that would be lost and the political disaster that this war could leave in its wake. He held a gentle hand out for Annwvyn, helped her from the ground, and stepped onto the floor.

Niamh didn't say a word to either of them. She knew that there was some solution, something that could happen that would change the fates of both countries forever, but no one could find it. The situation as it was seemed completely hopeless. Life in Celes as everyone knew it would be changed, if not destroyed forever. Valeria's elder prince was a power-hungery man with a taste for blood...He would not so easily be stopped in overthrowing Celes and taking it for his own. She followed the King and the Princess from the room, although she turned down the hallway again, back to where she came from: The library.

There was a problem that needed fixing, a war to stop, so she was determined to discover the answer. The most peaceful maneuver possible.

Airem reached his quarters, his sister still tailing him, as she had done all through the castle. He needed time to think. Time alone for himself. So he turned to Annwvyn.

" Leave me. " He commanded.  
>"But Air- "<p>

" Leave me, Annwvyn. " His voice grew harder still, as she drew back. Obviously, his harsh tone had wounded her. His spirits sunk, he didn't like having to tell his dear sister off like that, but it was required at times like these. She bowed briefly and walked briskly away, keeping a graceful hand near her face to hide her tears. She would have to go absord the shock herself, he told his mind, as the King closed his doors behind him.

As suddenly as the adrenaline hit, it disapeared once again. Airem stayed with his back to the door behind him, and sunk to the carpeted floor. Like when he was a child, he ducked his head under his arms and closed his eyes. His raven black hair fell to block out the light, and his magically created crown evaporated from his forehead..As it did whenever it was touched. He heaved a great sigh, trying to contain his feelings of panic and anger.

So many live lost. So much blood would be spilled if he let this go. His country might not ever recover.

And the guilt would be too much to bear.

What was this fool of a prince thinking? Was he mad? Did he honestly intend to waltz right into Celes and just overthrow him, the King?

The elder prince had a younger brother, one who was about Airem's age at 20. When the King of Valeria had died, he hadn't wanted his two sons to be fighting over the throne the rest of their lives, so he had given each of them equal amounts of lordship over the country. Thus, they were both princes. Never to become king unless one of them were married.  
>Obviously, because the elder prince was prideful and reckless, no woman was willing to marry him for the sake of the throne. Not much was known of the younger prince, other than he was gentle, quiet, and noble. He prefered to shy away from the spotlight of political affairs, instead choosing to live a quiet life of giving to various charities and over seeing the country's finances.<p>

Perhaps that was the reason for this mindless threat from the elder prince: He had grown tired of sharing the land and duties, and instead wanted to rule his own kingdom the way he wanted. Without the restrictions of his brother's peacemaking and fair, just ways. It made more sense than anything else Airem had thought of.

Now for the solution to end this war before it even began... 

Niamh stayed in the library for several hours, drowning herself in history books. Hopefully, something of this nature had happened before, and perhaps there was a solution buried in history. She had gone through everything in Valeria and Celes's books, finding nothing useful. The two countries were normaly peaceful with eachother, being of the same backround and language, they traded and interacted together often. She couldn't understand why on earth that Valeria would suddenly want to attack them now.

To clear her mind, the mage walked up the stairs to the back of the great library, scanning the rows of random books for anything of use. A small, blue tome caught her eye and she carefully retrieved it from the shelf. On the spine, written in tiny gold letters, was the title: " To Be a Noble Woman and A Gentle Wife" .

Niamh sighed automatically. She doubted deep inside herself that she would ever get married to anyone. For as long as she knew him, she had been in love with Airem, her king. While he went about life without any idea of her feelings for him. She loved the way his black hair moved gracefully around his strong face, his gentle hands as they did everything from signing papers, to stroking his horse's mane. She hadn't been the castle's Grand Healer for very long, a year at most, but she had slowly fallen for her king ever since then. She wished- a hopeless one, but still a wish, none the less- to be Airem's wife someday. That he would see something in her that was worth spending a lifetime with. But she knew something as impossible as that was hopeless. She wasn't of noble blood, and she had nothing to offer him.

Still, she brought the book with her from the library, and briskly walked down the corridor to her room. This problem would need to be slept on, and they would find an answer tomorrow.

xXxXx 

T_he young king thinks in anguish in his quarters. _

_The soul of the young princess weighs even deeper into dispair. _

_The healer stands on the brink of love and heartache._

_Souls will collide. _

_Hearts will be torn asunder. _

_And all that once was will be changed forever. _

_The stars have ceased to whisper their secrets. Silence dominates the heavens.  
><em>

_What fate are these lost hearts and their countries going to meet? _

_**  
><strong>_

**Thank you for your patience in my updates to this story. I hope that you will keep reading to find out what happens to these nice people.**

**Reviews = Love**

**Thanks for reading! **


	4. Family, Lords, and Cake

**You asked for it, you got it! :D The next chapter in this story.  
>We're introducing a new character today. ^^ Please enjoy. <strong>

**...**

Niamh awoke early that morning, as the sun was just rising over the peak of the mountain. She sighed while she lay there, basking in the warm sunlight. The servants had already come in and opened the curtains, filled her water basin and set out her dress for that day. She was not royality, but King Airem never let any of his guests, wizards, or even his servants, live in any kind of need or poverty while they were in his castle. She was glad to have been blessed by such a kind and worthy king. But her heart ached as well. She would never be able to marry him.

_There's no use pondering on that thought so early. _She thought, _I'm starting this day right, and I'm not going to get my spirits low. _With that motivating her, she sat up quickly and got out of her bed. The dress that had been laid out was not extravagant, more for everyday use. It was all white, with pink fur around the hem and cuffs, dark red accents completed the look by a three small buckles near the collar, and a simple hair piece. Niamh smiled to herself, silently thanking the servants for such a cheery color choice, and got dressed.

She was going to need all the cheer that she could get that day. Niamh deeply wished down in her spirit that this war was just a rumor, and that nothing was going to happen. With a deep breath, a book of magic history under her arm, she opened her bedroom doors and started toward the throne room.

**...**

As soon as she got there, many of the castle wizards and war lords from the border had come to the king's throne room. Airem was hard to find in the small crowd, but Niamh soon spotted him. He was sitting on his throne with a serious, blank expression. Fortunantly, he did look much better than the night before when Niamh had last seen him. There were no dark circles under his eyes, and his hair and clothes were pristine. She suddenly felt a surge of pride for her King. He would be alright. He didn't need her help at the moment.

None the less, he had seen her walk in. Airem raised his hand in summoning, and Niamh faithfully appeared at his side. He beaconed her to lean closer. She kneeled at the side of the throne and he leaned over to whisper in her ear, his hair brushing Niamh's face and sending chills up her spine.

" I'm starting to think that something is amiss, Niamh." Airem turned to look into her eyes. " I need you to investigate into this matter: What are Celes's relations with Valeria in the past, and what may have caused them to send one messenger with a war threat? " 

"Actually, your Majesty, I have already looked into that." Niamh said, setting her book on the floor. " Valeria and Celes have always had good, if not ideal, relations with eachother...Trading, celebrations and the like... It would not make any sense at all for them to suddenly attack us in a time of peace."

"So, you believe that there is something else going on, and not a war at all? " Airem asked, interested.

" I don't have any proof, but I think that the messenge we received was planted. I don't believe that Valeria wants to attack us at all. " Niamh said satisfied. She was almost sure that there was someone working behind the scenes to force the two countries to feud. " There could be someone who wants to take one of the thrones- or both- for themselves. That is my theory."

The King nodded, his face becoming brighter by the second. His lips didn't smile, but his eyes were sparkling. He was so relieved that there wasn't a bigger, real war to be dealt with. All that they had to do was bring the Elder Prince of Valeria a peace offering to show their good intentions. And then, when the time came, he would find a way to expose whoever had planned this.

"Thank you, Niamh. You've been a great help to me." He turned to the young mage and smiled brightly. She blushed and smiled back, knowing that her king was pleased with her. "What are your plans for today? I'm sure I won't be doing anything other than calming these angry war lords iching for a fight. Would you care to share with me? "

Niamh stood once more and retrieved her book. " I'm going to visit my brother in the town, your Majesty. And then I might go spend time with Annwvyn." She tucked a stray lock behind her ear. " If you need a reprieve, you are welcome to join us in the hanging gardens. "  
>Airem snorted, " I don't think that's going to happen anytime within the next few hours. Thank you for the offer. I will do my best to be there. You're dismissed." He stood up, brushing off the front of his overcoat, and turned to look at her. " Have a wonderful day, Niamh. I'll see you at dinner. "<p>

She curtsied and walked from the room, leaving the chatter behind her. And leaving poor Airem to deal with the nobility.  
><strong>...<strong>

Once in the town, Niamh had no trouble finding her old home. It was a small house on the corner near the bakery. With charming shuttered windows and whitewashed walls, she was glad to finally be back to the old life she once knew.  
>She knocked on the front door of her brother's home. Niamh knew that she dear brother would come running, they had always been close. So close, that each could sense whene the other was near. It was almost telepathy.<p>

Sure enough, when the door opened, her older brother's handsome face appeared. His hair was the same shade of light brown as hers, it was long and tied back with a ribbon. His eyes were the same blue, and they sparkled every time that he laughed, which was often. He was at least three inches taller than she was, Niamh had to look up to see him.

She barely had time to blink as he threw his arms around her and squeezed. She was lifted off the ground, and he laughed.  
>"Welcome home, little sister!" He promptly set her feet on the ground again and grinned widely. The young man looked her up and down, mockingly putting a hand to his chin as if he was studying some serious matter. "My, my, only a couple of weeks since I last saw you, and you're all grown up. Staff and everything, eh? "<p>

Niamh rolled her eyes as all sisters do. Then smiled. " Yes, hello, Nevyn. " She shoved her tall staff into his hands good-naturedly, and stepped past him into the house. The inside was kept neat, but cluttered. There were strange artifacts on every shelf. There were books on every shelf as well, some overflowing onto the hardwood floors. Scrolls, old maps, paintings and other assorted paper articles made the walls look like a giant collage. Home, sweet home.

Nevyn leaned his sister's staff delicately against the wall, and stepped toward her to take her overcoat. " Welcome home, Niamh." The taller young man gazed down at her with loving kindess. " I just so happened to have some Three Milk Cake left. Would you like some? Tea to go with it, maybe? " Niamh nodded and Nevyn rubbed his hands together, and dissapeared into the kitchen.  
>She sat down on his sofa, then lounged. It was all just as she had left it the last time. It was good to come back to your roots once in a while.<p>

Niamh closed her eyes and waited for Nevyn to return. When he did, he came bearing two plates of white cake, and two cups of steaming tea. He was such a warm and gentle brother. " I'm so lucky to have you. " She said aloud, knowing that he would understand her meaning. He gave her the plate and cup, then sat across from her to eat his own.  
>"Yes, well, I'm just wonderful like that. Go ahead and eat. We can catch up in a few minutes."<p>

Niamh loved her brother...Very much. Her heart was content as she took a bite of the delicous, moist cake. She knew that this moment wouldn't last forever. _All the more reason to enjoy it. _She thought.

**-...-...-...-...-...-...-...**

_Fate spares no one. It cares not whether that person be a king or a farmer. Who are friends? What are enemies? All peoples are the same under the stars. There are things about to happen, that no one can stop. Fate has been set in motion. Spinning endlessly. _

**...**  
><strong>Nevyn, brother of Niamh, son of Nathaniel: (Nea-vin) What do you think of him?<strong>

**Reviews = Love. Thanks for reading! **__


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